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Back to school time

There's plenty on the education agenda as students make their way back to class this month. (SHUTERSTOCK PHOTO)

Re: Laptops a distraction in classrooms, Editorial Sept. 2

Re: New school year but old problems persist, Opinion Sept. 3

Re: Counting kids out, Editorial Sept. 2

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Rules on seniority-based hiring are ‘harming the profession,’ Aug. 31

It is sad to note from this informative Star report that “provincial regulation designed to counter nepotism is shutting out gifted teachers.” When our highly qualified and gifted Ontarians cannot see the end of the rainbow for securing a decent job, we have a major problem that calls for an equitable solution.

Jason Trinh, the gifted award winning new teacher with a master’s degree who is unable to even get a job interview, said in our usual Canadian low-key manner that he was not trying to complain — although he is “stuck in limbo.”

It is time every Ontarian voiced their strong disapproval of this untenable situation to demand that the Ontario Minister of Education finds a fair solution — effectively and quickly.

Perhaps this is also a good time to disallow school principals asking retired teachers to act as substitute teachers, especially when a large number of unemployed new teachers are in dire need of experience and money!

Rudy Fernandes, Mississauga

This sorry state of affairs seems to follow an Orwellian agenda, far removed from an enlightened one expected of our educators.

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The disconnect is exacerbated by well-off retired teachers getting back on the bandwagon and pseudo teachers with no credentials being brought in as substitute teachers (really baby-sitters), when qualified people languish in limbo and are intentionally prevented from getting their foot in the door.

Is merit no longer the criterion?

Armand Rodrigues, Toronto

Let me get this right: the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ union complained about perceived nepotism in their teacher hiring process, so the government imposed Regulation 274 to please them. No consultation with others, no discussion with others, no notice to others, just a regulation slipped into the Education Act to please a select group. Sounds like a perfect example of nepotism to me.

Barb Low, Sundridge

Examining the future after a degree in the arts, Insight Aug. 31

No one in this article effectively questioned the assumption behind the CIBC study cited that education is a market commodity not an activity for the betterment of the individual or of the society.

Imagine if everyone made their educational decisions based on the philosophy of the CIBC author. If everyone chose their university/college program to maximize their financial return, there would be no art, no literature, no theatre, no film, no music. There would be no historians telling us not to repeat the mistakes of the past, and no philosophers plumbing the depths of human understanding and telling us how to make a better society.

There would be environmentalists working for oil companies telling us that global warming is a myth, but there would be no environmentalists working for Greenpeace telling us that the oil companies aren’t telling the truth. There would be lawyers to protect the wealthy, but there would be no lawyers to fight for social justice.

There would be researchers and writers working for the CIBC telling young people that education is a market commodity, so they should study what will maximize the return on their investment, but there would be no underpaid, part-time university professors telling young people to study what will make them educated persons so they can make the world a better place.

Chris Glover, TDSB Trustee, Etobicoke Centre

This article examines the usefulness of Bachelor of Arts degree and the lack of job prospects for holders of such degrees. While it is true that in this “electronic age” we’re living in, there are far more opportunities for credentials in the math or scientific fields. Much has been written about this topic in recent years and yet nothing has changed.

There is a growing number of students pursuing Bachelor of Arts degrees and the universities continue to accommodate them. What universities should be doing is restricting access to arts degrees.

As it happens today, anybody can get into an arts program. It is far more difficult to gain a place for math or engineering degrees. If you hear about somebody studying engineering at Waterloo, the immediate assumption is that this student must be bright and hard working because being accepted into such programs requires good grades and hard work. This is not the case for Arts programs.

Universities accept far too many high school graduates for BAs in English, sociology, political science, etc. and many of those they accept should not be going to university at all. Universities need to significantly raise the requirements for admission to Arts programs so that future BA graduates would be recognized as the cream of the crop.

One also needs to examine the programs themselves. Are BA students challenged enough? Many universities have the reputation of being party central and many Arts students have part-time jobs. Do math and engineering students have as much free time on their hands? I’ve never seen numbers but I think not.

BAs will not be considered prestigious unless their admission process becomes more competitive and their field of study more rigourous.

Claude Gannon, Markham

Laptops a distraction in classrooms, Editorial Sept. 2

As a retired educator, I have been involved in many waves of educational change. Last year I had the opportunity to teach at a private college, in a preparatory course for Educational Assistants. Imagine my dismay, when I realized that despite the fact that information technology knowledge and usage would figure significantly in the type of support that the EAs would be called to use in the job placements, a component of this training was not yet officially offered.

With the support of the course co-ordinator, I set about inviting the students to bring their devices — laptops, iPads, cellphones — to class so that we would all become more familiar and competent with the use of IT. The outcome of this educational and social experience was two pronged. Yes, the students became more conversant and at ease in using programs, devices, platforms, but unfortunately the lack of regard for common courtesy reared its ugly head. Even some of these adults had a hard time distinguishing between using IT to enhance the learning process, while being unplugged from their constant texting, emailing, and contact through social media.

Welcome the use of technology in your classroom, teach about recognizing and using Canadian spelling and setting the date, and by all means get students using links and apps. Technology is part of our daily life. Just as we need to teach children manners at home, the respectful use of devices needs to start there, and be reinforced out in schools and other public places. IT has a place in education, but like with every innovation, the usage has to be implemented sagely.

Until that time, we will have adults who act like they promote respect while they in turn text, receive calls, and yes, even watch movies and visit their Facebook page while they should be attending to the business of learning. No wonder some people feel that our students need to be told to park their devices.

Eva Teresa Rhode, Oshawa

New school year but old problems persist, Opinion Sept. 3

Sachin Maharaj observes: “Ontario’s high school graduation rate has increased for the eighth year in a row” and “At the American Educational Research Association, the most prestigious international education research conference, Ontario was hailed as one of the leading education jurisdictions in the world.”

Now that is some praise. It is earned only after many years of commitment by the educators and students of Ontario along with the support of the Ontario government. But it is rarely recognized.

When an Ontario professional sports team wins a championship, the media and general public rightfully celebrate the achievement. But when Ontario educators win “the Stanley Cup” of teaching, there is an attitude of, “Ho hum, what else have you done lately?” It seems even when Ontario’s teachers outperform most of the other educational systems in the world it is not enough.

I say to all the parents whose children are attending our public schools, take pride in our teachers, have confidence in the public education system and be like the rest of the world, celebrate our being “one of the leading education jurisdictions in the world.”

David Gladstone, Toronto

Counting kids out, Editorial Sept. 2

Secondary teachers hold specialists’ degrees in one or two subjects. It makes sense to give our students an extra year of their expertise, especially since the discontinuation of the fifth year of secondary school has robbed them of this expertise.

School boards should pilot programs of sending grade eights to high school, which would help students with all of their subjects, many of which elementary schools cannot provide to the same extent, namely: math, science, music, physical education, technical courses, etc.

Elementary schools are over crowded with full-day kindergarten classes; portable classrooms are popping up everywhere. Grade eights are ready; let’s not hold them back.

Janine Murray, Napanee

In your editorial on the reason for the poor EQAO math scores you buy into the misconception that the reason is a lack of teaching skill. The problem is content not teaching ability.

The concrete nature of elementary math and the presence of textbooks, homework books, and guide books makes teaching math no harder than teaching other subjects. The sequential nature of a lot of the skills means that a skill need to be mastered before going on to the next skill. This becomes very difficult when the curriculum is as jammed with content as is the Ontario curriculum.

As a consequence some students get left behind and do poorly in math.

Don Biderman, Toronto

Your story in the Saturday Star about the award winning new teacher unable to get a job is hardly front-page news. Unfortunately, this is the norm rather than the exception. Few new teachers land jobs, and most don’t even land on the supply lists. The profession has been a closed, elite club for decades and is unlikely to change.

I was certified in 1989 (in business studies), and have been on the supply list since 2000. I have not landed a permanent job, despite completing many expensive AQs and a Master’s degree in education, along with 40 years of business experience. The new seniority rule, while a step in the right direction, is not a solution.

I don’t know what the solution is. One option is to temporarily close teacher’s colleges and place a moratorium on hiring foreign trained teachers. In any event, I believe that college registrars have an ethnical obligation to be honest with applicants, and tell them that the likelihood of landing a permanent job is slim. Luckily, I had worked for 16 years prior to entering the faculty, and had a profession to fall back on. Many are not so lucky.

Sharon Anderson, Mississauga

Thank you for publishing this article. All viewpoints are represented, and definitively worth talking about further. Encouraging public debate is one of the purposes of newspapers. As in so many other areas, the topic in question is part of a much wider and much more complex issue.

Here are some questions: Why are there certified teachers in Ontario who do not have employment in education? Why are students applying to faculties of education even though it is well known that in most teaching fields there are little or no possibilities of employment in the near future? Why are faculties of education accepting, educating and graduating students in these fields? Why can school authorities not afford to employ more teachers even though many students need more individual attention? Why are teachers who have retired from publicly funded schools in Ontario allowed to continue to teach in those schools after they retire, even for limited time periods? And why have publicly-funded school authorities hired persons who hold only interim, limited and/or restricted certificates of qualification from the Ontario College of Teachers?

I suggest the Star investigate these and related matters, and publish the findings, so that the article on Saturday Star’s front page is considered in context.

Miguel Prohaska, Toronto

Although I can sympathize with Jason Trinh and other teachers in his position, this article does not address the issue of new teachers that are still waiting for the opportunity to supply teach.

I received my Bachelor of Education in 2010, and since then have been waiting for a spot on the supply list of one of the six school boards that I have been applying to over the past three years. Most of the teachers that I graduated with are also waiting for spots, save for a few with “connections,” that were hired immediately out of school.

What measures are being implemented to make certain that the hiring of supply teachers is fair and equitable? Since graduating I have spent over $5,000 on additional courses, and yet people with fewer qualifications, or out-of-province degrees are being hired before me.

Ultimately I feel that I have been ignored by the boards because I lack the connections that will call attention to my application. I’ve inquired about the status of my applications many times, and if I am lucky enough to get an answer from someone in human resources, I am simply told that there is no work. Yet, more recent graduates whose parents or relatives are principals are somehow getting on these lists.

I feel that the hiring of supply teachers should be regulated so that we all have the opportunity to get our foot in the door, rather than being forced to wait for an indefinite amount of time.

Daniela Nicolini, Woodbridge

Unfortunately nepotism in hiring teachers is only the tip of the iceberg. The much more serious and intractable problem in education is the vicious politics of promotion and leadership selection in school systems — something that I experienced personally prior to my retirement over my lengthy career as an extremely well-qualified elementary school principal.

There is a deep and frustrating cynicism amongst those in education about the fairness of the promotion process in school systems and the inherent traditional biases built into them. Careerism has become rampant across all organizations and is particularly virulent in education.

Today, many principals are more obsessed with their next job rather than their current one. For many their main job is getting promoted. This skews their decision making to be conservative and slavishly political rather than independently professional and to avoid controversy.

Nepotism, cronyism and favouritism continue to pervade modern educational organizations and are still a significant problem in promotion practices. These elements continue to be a major hidden and unexamined problem in school boards that trumpet their equity and fairness policies in every other area. This issue is virtually invisible and officially denied by educational leaders and professional organizations but it is very much alive and well behind the polished professional facade portrayed to the public and the media. It is an important issue because it determines the quality of the leaders that are appointed.

The bias of promotion is repeatedly reflected in choosing people who ingratiate themselves to senior administrators in a wide variety of deferential ways while often lacking fundamental competencies for the position they are applying for. Rather than focussing on the skills of real leadership, the focus is more often on the respectful and personal relationships with senior staff (social, golf etc.) and agreement with their “vision.”

Subordinates who legitimately challenge the status quo and ask difficult questions of senior administrators are rarely promoted in our hierarchic and antiquated leadership structure and culture. They are branded as not “team players.” There is no other explanation when an inexperienced, junior and widely regarded as incompetent individual is promoted to a position of responsibility while highly experienced, qualified and competent individuals are passed over repeatedly without justification.

Rather than being chosen strictly on professional skills and abilities, promotions are more often than not made for biased politically correct and personal preferential reasons by those in authority — the formerly “old boys” and now “old girls” clubs. This is a recipe for an education system that rarely promotes the best and the brightest but invariably the most politically astute and most obedient. Not a formula for dynamic leadership or change in education.

Dr. R. Bahlieda, Newmarket

Throughout my years of teaching, many teachers and I had students measure surface areas with different objects. We never used food items. We too used pizza boxes, empty grape crates, etc. The only difference is that we were never written up in any newspaper.

Patricia McGregor, Toronto

If there’s one thing The Star has made crystal clear: We all get that you hate Toronto teachers.

Sherrill Hilton, Scarborough

Back to school! An exciting time for many. Not so exciting for the 58 million primary school age children worldwide, more girls than boys, who don’t have the money or the schools or the teachers to be able to attend. Without an education, their futures are dimmed: babies at too young an age, menial jobs, poor health and nutrition, no prospects of improving their lot in life.

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the only multilateral partnership in the education field, has accomplished amazing results since it began in 2002. In the 52 developing countries that are part of the GPE, an additional 23 million children are now in school, 413,000 teachers have been trained, 37,000 classrooms constructed and 220 million textbooks provided; 68 per cent of girls now finish primary school, compared with 56 per cent in 2002, and in 18 GPE countries, as many girls as boys now complete primary school.

But the 58 million not in school still remain and the global funding gap needed to get them to school is enormous. Canada has been a big supporter of the GPE but needs to double the $45 million now pledged for 2011-2014 to $90 million for the following three years.

Why should we care? Like Canadians, people in developing countries generally value education; they just don’t have the educational opportunities we have. We can afford to help and our help can lead to an educated world that is fairer for all of us.

Kim Malcolm, Ottawa

Seniority-based hiring harms more than the profession. Sadly, it could harm the children. Where is the advocacy for children on this issue? Don’t they deserve the best? If the seniority-based teachers are the best because of their experience, they could/would get the job, wouldn’t they?

I see this issue as much more important than being able to hire “ethnically diverse teachers” or teachers that are a “good fit,” as some remarks from school principals you quoted suggest. From the perspective of the children, there is only one criteria : who is the best?

Ritha Khemani, Toronto

This article is as accurate as I would expect a news article to be. Basics of the situation are accurate however the implementation is even worse than reported.

Jason Trinh is the poster boy for many excellent teachers across Ontario, not just Toronto. First, many Boards have thoughtful and effective hiring practices/policies. Management rights to hire have been stripped and these policies declared redundant as the Ministry and OECTA have taken over the role.

The basics: The Boards were forced to create a shortlist referred to as “The List” from which all LTO contracts and permanent contract teachers had to be drawn. Teachers that were new to the board at the time and had not worked 20 days were not eligible to apply. Any teachers just added to the occasional supply cohort are ineligible to get on “The List” until it opens again. In some communities the List might be 200 from an Occasional day to day group of 300.

All LTO contracts and permanent contracts must be from the top 5 qualified teachers from The List. To suggest that a principal can simply state that the candidates from the top 5 are not adequate is insulting. The Principal must answer to Senior Admin. who are already crushed by 10’s if not hundreds of grievances from the unions due to the fact that the unions felt all occasional teachers should have been put on The List. Senior Admin is not interested in a Principal generating more grievances based on selection from the top 5.

Implementation: What has not been reported is the ridiculous posting process resulting from the rounds of top 5 selections. If a Principal can challenge the reg by posting jobs that last multiple rounds, a candidate may not be selected for 3 rounds of successive postings equalling 15 days of students having different supply teachers in front of them before the replacement is finally selected. Movement from school to school for certain positions (headships) could potentially leave a school without a regular teacher for 20 days.

Nepotism: Ironically, if there was any nepotism (I would suggest not a significant factor), take a look at a Board’s typical teaching staff list and Occasional List. I would suggest there would be more members amongst those teaching staffs and Lists that are relatives of teachers or secretaries (all union members) versus Sr. Adminstration/Mgmt.

Myth: The Star would be promoting a myth that this regulation has anything to do with anit-Nepotism or fair hiring practices. It is a money issue. The Ministry wanted to cut and implemented two unpaid Professional Development Days and a 6 month freeze on salary grids. The non-sequitur here is unpaid PD Days. If a teacher is not getting paid, they voluntarily would have to attend. There is no PD if teachers are not present. Mgmt still has to be at school as the Ministry has declared the days as PD therefore Principals/VP’s must be there. When you hold raises to salaries on grids for every teacher in Ontario by 6 months the savings are massive. Similar to the 90’s Rae Days, if every teacher and administrator in Ontario is unpaid for 2 days camouflaged by naming them PD Days the savings are significant. The payback to OECTA was a union based hiring process that supports a historical union mantra that everything is seniority based vs. competence.

Reality: This regulation masks financial strategies as PD of teachers and hides a 6 months savings for govermnment coffers. This regulation is a marriage between the Ministry and OECTA as all other groups refused to make such a deal i.e. Boards and trustees. Principals are supposed to build staffs like a pro sports franchise. You inherit a staff and attempt to provide PD, new practices, assessment for learning, ramp up scores (standardized testing) and provide engagement outside the classroom for young people. All challenges I savour. This regulation does not provide a principal with the tools to round out his/her roster with LTO staff or contract staff with needs of the school. Firstly, the selection of the best in the classroom and secondly, requirements for a successful co-curricular program. A teacher/coach to support a football program may be in the top 5 but my school may require a volleyball coach or a teacher to moderate and produce a musical. Our Boards currently have Jason Trinh imprisoned in the lower echelons of Occasional Lists with little to no hope of getting a contract for years. Some don’t even have a hope of acquiring a LTO contract. There are former NHL hockey players, CFL football players, professional musicians and talented artists full of enthusiasm for a career educating our young people. They will move on to other careers or move to other provinces/countries to ply their trade. Ontario will lose. This province will lose trust in public education.

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